Document scanners are widely used for both business and home purposes. The optical scanner market continues to explode. Optical scanners differ from one another in terms of scanning technology, resolution, bit depth, size and shape. There are hand-held scanners, sheet-fed scanners, flatbed scanners (like photocopy machines), and overhead scanners (like overhead projectors).
An optical scanner reads text or images printed on paper and translates the information into digital data to be stored in a file, displayed on a screen, and manipulated by programs. Most optical scanners do not distinguish text from images (represented as bit maps). Therefore, a computer is required to edit text. To translate the image into ASCII characters, an optical character recognition (OCR) software is required to be installed in the computer. Typically, an analog-to-digital converter in the scanner processes the analog signal to generate a digital representation of this image. Most optical scanners sold today come with OCR packages. Current scanners require a variety of user intervention to carry out the scanning process and effectively store the document on a storage device, such as a disk, CD, or network share.
For example, HP ScanJet II cx is compatible with Macintosh and IBM compatible PC's. For the Macintosh hardware, the scanner can be connected directly to an existing SCSI interface. The recommended requirements for the Macintosh include: 5-8 megabytes of RAM (the minimum is 4), 6 megabytes of available disk space for installation of software (DeskScan II and/or Adobe Photoshop), and operation system software version 7.0 or greater (minimum is 6.0.7). For the PC the scanner requires an adapter card to be installed in the system. The software that does the actual scanning is called DeskScan II (on both Macintosh and PC). The image processing software is Adobe Photoshop for the Macintosh; and Aldus PhotoStyler and Image Assistant for the PC. The DeskScan II software does the actual scanning and includes some adjustments. The following are a few of the adjustments that can be made: adjusting the selection area, changing exposure settings, choosing a new image type, sharpening the image, or scaling the image to the right size. To enhance the images beyond what DeskScan offers requires image processing software such as Adobe Photoshop for the Macintosh, or Aldus PhotoStyler and Image Assistant for the PC.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,830 shows an integrated scan-to-store apparatus having a single housing unit, a flatbed scanner, a CPU, a monitor/screen, commands for controlling or making adjustments on a control panel, and a storing means disposed within. It further shows an integrated scan-to-store apparatus that allows images to be scanned and stored on a removable data/storage device. While it eliminates the need for a separate computer, it also eliminates the compatibility with any existing scanners by building a completely new scanner to include a CPU, monitor, scanner, and memory storage device as a single unit. In addition it still requires instructions from the operator and certain computer navigation procedures in order to allow choices to include: scanning, manipulating/adjusting, and storage. In particular it requires a high-powered CPU along with an extensive RAM and cache memory system, as well as various ports to allow this device to interface with other apparatus. In other words it compromises existing scanner design in exchange for a “self-contained, integrated configuration” in a stand-alone apparatus including a single housing (having a top surface and an interior space defined beneath said top surface), a high-end CPU processor, some “imagined” miniature monitor, and some sort of abbreviated keyboard.
U.S. patent application Publication No. 2002/0051242 shows an integrated scan-to-store apparatus having a CPU, a removable storage medium, and a control system displaying digital images. It further shows stand-alone flatbed scanner controls for controlling the mode of operation, degree of resolution, and related parameters associated with generating, storing, and displaying digital data, which requires substantially more input from an operator than U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,830 to control functions, such as: mode of operation, color or black and white, high-low-medium resolution, LCD display use, erase control, image advance and data compression, in addition to other “operator controlled functions.” It also includes ports for peripherals, an internal hard drive, and software adapted to display images directly on a screen. This application shares the same problem as U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,830, and it additionally incorporates a special carriage adapted within the unit with a digital camera positioned on this carriage so as to either conventionally scan a document or take a digital picture of the document. The digital camera picture would also allow viewing on a conventional TV set, and an adapter to couple an auto document feeder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,868 encompasses a compact, lightweight image data filing apparatus with an IC memory card as an image data storing medium, and is primarily designed to be coupled with a hand-held scanner rather than being universally compatible with most optical scanners. Image data on an object such as a name card is read by the hand scanner, and filed into the IC memory card. The read data is stored into the IC memory card, together with an ID entered via the keyboard for identifying the image data to be stored. The image data is specified by the ID entered and displayed by a liquid crystal display device. As such, it requires additionally a keyboard for entering ID's and a display for displaying the image data.
Currently there is a demand for a portable, free-standing universal scanner driving device for a unskilled operator to scan a document directly to a storage media therein from a single interaction with any scanner available in-situ.